¹ My child, do not forget my teaching, let your heart keep my principles,

² since they will increase your length of days, your years of life and your well-being.

³ Let faithful love and constancy never leave you: tie them round your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴ Thus you will find favour and success in the sight of God and of people.

⁵ Trust wholeheartedly in Yahweh, put no faith in your own perception;

⁶ acknowledge him in every course you take, and he will see that your paths are smooth.

⁷ Do not congratulate yourself on your own wisdom, fear Yahweh and turn your back on evil:

⁸ health-giving, this, to your body, relief to your bones.

⁹ Honour Yahweh with what goods you have and with the first-fruits of all your produce;

¹⁰ then your barns will be filled with corn, your vats overflowing with new wine.

¹¹ My child, do not scorn correction from Yahweh, do not resent his reproof;

¹² for Yahweh reproves those he loves, as a father the child whom he loves.

¹³ Blessed are those who have discovered wisdom, those who have acquired understanding!

¹⁴ Gaining her is more rewarding than silver, her yield is more valuable than gold.

¹⁵ She is beyond the price of pearls, nothing you could covet is her equal.

¹⁶ In her right hand is length of days; in her left hand, riches and honour.

¹⁷ Her ways are filled with delight, her paths all lead to contentment.

¹⁸ She is a tree of life for those who hold her fast, those who cling to her live happy lives.

¹⁹ In wisdom, Yahweh laid the earth's foundations, in understanding he spread out the heavens.

²⁰ Through his knowledge the depths were cleft open, and the clouds distil the dew.

²¹ My child, hold to sound advice and prudence, never let them out of sight;

²² they will give life to your soul and beauty to your neck.

²³ You will go on your way in safety, your feet will not stumble.

²⁴ When you go to bed, you will not be afraid; once in bed, your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵ Have no fear either of sudden terror or of attack mounted by wicked men,

²⁶ since Yahweh will be your guarantor, he will keep your steps from the snare.

²⁷ Refuse no kindness to those who have a right to it, if it is in your power to perform it.

²⁸ Do not say to your neighbour, 'Go away! Come another time! I will give it you tomorrow,' if you can do it now.

²⁹ Do not plot harm against your neighbour who is living unsuspecting beside you.

³⁰ Do not pick a groundless quarrel with anyone who has done you no harm.

³¹ Do not envy the man of violence, never model your conduct on his;

³² for the wilful wrong-doer is abhorrent to Yahweh, who confides only in the honest.

³³ Yahweh's curse lies on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright.

³⁴ He mocks those who mock, but accords his favour to the humble.

³⁵ Glory is the portion of the wise, all that fools inherit is contempt.

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The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) is a Catholic translation of the Bible published in 1985. The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) has become the most widely used Roman Catholic Bible outside of the United States. It has the imprimatur of Cardinal George Basil Hume.

Like its predecessor, the Jerusalem Bible, the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) version is translated "directly from the Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic." The 1973 French translation, the Bible de Jerusalem, is followed only "where the text admits to more than one interpretation." Introductions and notes, with some modifications, are taken from the Bible de Jerusalem.

Source: The Very Reverend Dom (Joseph) Henry Wansbrough, OSB, MA (Oxon), STL (Fribourg), LSS (Rome), a monk of Ampleforth Abbey and a biblical scholar. He was General Editor of the New Jerusalem Bible. "New Jerusalem Bible, Regular Edition", pg. v.

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